Kal-El (Injustice) (Dc Comics)
Biography Main (Gods Among Us) The last son of Krypton was sent to Earth to escape his birthworld's destruction. Adopted by a kindly farming couple in Kansas, he went on to become Earth's most powerful and respected superhero. Regime (Gods Among Us) A deeply troubled dictator, Superman was drugged into killing his wife Lois, their unborn son, and all of Metropolis by the Joker. He now rules as High Councilor of Earth, killing all who oppose him. Injustice 2 After the fall of the Regime, Superman now remains a permanent resident of a prison built to contain and suppress the Man of Steel. Still grieving the loss of Lois and their unborn son, Superman maintains that peace can only be achieved through subjugation—But as a new threat looms, can old enemies forge new alliances? Injustice: Gods Among Us Injustice: Gods Among Us begins with scenes of Metropolisutterly devastated by a nuclear blast, with the Joker being held in an interrogation room by Batman in Gotham. Mirroring the comic, Superman first appears breaking down a wall of the room, so enraged his eyes burn red with heat vision. He orders Batman aside, though when the Dark Knight tries to assure Superman he is handling this, Kal-El quickly throws the table in-between himself and the Joker aside and grabs the psychotic clown, slamming him against the room's two-way mirror. Superman rages over the Joker's manipulations of him before somberly lamenting the loss of Lois and their unborn son. When the Joker mockingly points out Metropolis' similar fate to Krypton, Superman smashes his fist against the wall near Joker's head and then throws him across the room. As the Man of Steel stalks toward the Clown Prince of Crime, who sits back down, further mocking the fact even if they lock him up, he will escape to cause even greater destruction. Outraged and thirsty for vengeance, Superman snatches the Joker by his neck and lifts him up, shoving Batman aside with a gentle push when the Dark Knight tries to intervene. When the Joker mocks Superman by asking him if he'll ever find love again and muses that he might not kill his next family, this proves the final straw. With his eyes igniting in fury, Superman kills the Joker by shoving his fist through his chest, the madman dying with one last smile and cackle of insanity. In the five years in-between the events of the game, Superman virtually eliminates crime on Earth and establishes absolute power and control through his regime, the One Earth Government, taking like-minded super-heroes and villains as his generals with himself acting as High Councilor. With the massive armies of the regime, his lover Wonder Woman's Amazons, and his best friend Lex Luthor both financing and supplying weapons and advanced technology, Kal-El achieves total peace through force. Anyone who attempts to resist is swiftly murdered, a fate that befell his world's Green Arrow and several super-villains, prompting Batman to begin an Insurgency against Kal-El's rule. In response, Superman ousts Bruce's identity, seizing his assets and even sways his son, Damian, to his side, but not before Damian kills Dick Grayson and steals his identity as Nightwing. The scene quickly switches the mainstream DC universe with Superman battling Ares, the God of War, in the skies above Metropolis as the rest of the Justice League battle Black Adam and Sinestro while the Titans handle some of Batman's rogues at the Watchtower, with Lex Luthor revealed to be behind the madness. Superman subdues Ares, allowing Wonder Woman and Aquaman to bind his hands. Superman tries to leave for the Watchtower to stop Luthor when Doomsday lands behind him. Clark tries to tackle the beast but is easily backhanded aside. When Doomsday is knocked from the skies thanks to the combined efforts of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, taking a de-powered Black Adam with him, Superman quickly flies the beast into space before it can attack The Flash and Green When Batman contacts Superman for a report, Superman replies that it's over, and he is taking Doomsday into "very deep space" at Batman's suggestion. The main Universe's Man of Steel is absent when the League attempts to prevent the Joker from devastating Metropolis with a nuclear device provided to him by Luthor as a contingency plan and thus ignored the disappearance of Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Aquaman and the Joker, whom were transported to the alternate Earth. The main universe's Clark is next seen speaking with the Flash and Cyborg as they try to find out what happened to the missing League members and Batman, with Superman assuring them they will find their missing friends. The alternate Kal-El is seen much later in his Fortress of Solitude, working over the control device for the captured Doomsday, with Diana walking up to him. She compliments his work on the control collar, with Superman only grunting softly in reply. When she asks him if he wants her to stay, Kal-El does not respond, and Diana asks if he is ok with their relationship, assuring him she is not trying to replace Lois. Superman reassures her he is and bids her to leave, and when she tries to inform him of Lantern's arrival, he already knows. As Diana leaves, Yellow Lantern arrives, stepping up to Superman and complimenting Diana's appearance. Superman barely replies but becomes interested when Yellow Lantern reveals the arrival of several duplicates of not only Diana and himself, but the deceased Green Arrow as well. Wanting no threats to his world, Superman orders Lantern to find them, wanting to know everything that is going on. Later, Superman is seen testing his control over Doomsday and is pleased by the results when he is contacted by Yellow Lantern, informing him of Batman's capture. Superman is next seen at Stryker's Island alongside Wonder Woman, with their forces bowing to them as they pass by. He and Wonder Woman step into the cell containing Batman and Yellow Lantern. Kal-El scans the doppelganger with his X-Ray Vision, and quickly ascertains he is not the true Batman, even with the same DNA but wrong vitals, revealing him as another duplicate. Though not seen, it is implied Superman begins a brutal interrogation of Batman to force him to reveal why they have come to his world. Back in the main universe, Superman learns that their Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman and the Joker have all been transported to a parallel dimension as well as Cyborg's and the Flash's safe plan to pull them back to their world using a modified Cosmic Treadmill. The alternate Kal-El is next seen speaking with the alternate Luthor, requesting that he make a device that will be able to identify the duplicates in their world more easily and gives him data from the duplicate Batman to help Luthor. Though Luthor tells him it will take a few weeks, Superman is confident in his friend's ability to make such a device. Though Lex wants him to stay for dinner, Superman has to leave but hesitates for a moment, before asking his friend about the possibility of Lois living in the other world. Though Lex quickly reminds him there was only one Lois, Superman leaves with a look of contemplation. Back on the main earth, Clark oversees Cyborg and Flash's work on the Cosmic Treadmill and their first test on it. When the treadmill begins to go haywire, Superman orders Cyborg to shut it down, but it is too late and Cyborg is pulled into the parallel dimension. During these events, the alternate Superman and Wonder Woman are investigating the Batcave, pondering over a weapon's case and wondering why their Batman risked returning to the Cave. When Superman discovers small fragments of kryptonite in the weapon's case, he decides it's time to flush the Insurgents out now before they have a chance to spring an attack on him. To lure not only his Batman out but the duplicates as well, Superman issues a press conference to announce his capture of Batman and the execution planned for him at Stryker's. Though the Insurgency is aware it is a trap, they make plans to seize control over the Watchtower and find a replacement for the damaged kryptonite weapon. Back on the main earth, Clark and the Flash discuss repairs for the modified Cosmic Treadmill. Superman urges Barry to keep trying as it may be their friends only way home. Meanwhile, on the alternate Earth, Superman has prepared a massive defense force on Stryker's, with himself leading the frontline alongside Yellow Lantern, Hawkgirl, Sinestro, Black Adam, Catwoman, Raven, Nightwing and Shazam. When Kal-El sees the duplicate Aquaman rise from the seas with an army of giant crab creatures, Superman gives the word for the attack and the battle begins between his forces and the Insurgency. As his troops are attacked by Aquaman and his crab beasts, Kal-El attacks Arthur himself only to be smashed by one of Green Lantern's constructs into the duplicate of Wonder Woman, though he quickly breaks free of her grasp and charges both of them. He manages to get the duplicate Diana by her throat and is slowly squeezing the life out of her when he is struck in the back by duplicate Aquaman's trident, allowing Wonder Woman to fall safely into one of Hal's constructs. Superman grapples with the king of the seas, easily dominating him, though he is stopped from killing Arthur with his own trident by Green Lantern trapping him in a cage construct. Superman's will proves greater than Hal's allowing him to destroy the construct and nearly break the Lantern's arms, though he stops when he sees his world's Batman and the duplicate Green Arrow escaping Stryker's with the wounded alternate Batman. Quickly flying down to confront his old friend, Kal-El argues that he has perfected this world by unleashing all of his power, lamenting the lost lives because he held back. Batman reminds him he is only controlling and oppressing the world. Superman snaps that he could have prevented Metropolis and saved Lois and their child, his eyes burning red. When Batman coldly reminds him that crime took his family as well, Superman counters that Bruce wasn't the gun. The two Batmen and Green Arrow suddenly vanish and Superman looks to the sky, realizing the Watchtower has been compromised. Flying into space to retake the satellite, Superman is pushed back by the tower's sudden explosion thanks to Deathstroke. Superman orients himself and floats in space for a moment, simmering with rage when he hears Lex Luthor call him down to earth, challenging him and proclaiming his time is over. The enraged Man of Steel charges back down to earth, tackling a distracted Luthor who had attempted to strike him with the kryptonite weapon but was stopped by Shazam's intervention. Shocked by his best friend's betrayal, Kal-El demands answers, but Luthor only replies that Superman had betrayed the world and that the peace he offered was a joke. His fury pushed to its limit, Superman chokes Luthor out and then snaps his neck. As he stands over his dead friend's body, Kal-El is overcome with horror towards himself and his super-hearing picking up the horror of the people over his murder of Luthor, who had been a friend to the people. Screaming in anguish, Superman flies off, leaving Shazam to watch him leave. Kal-El is next seen in his Fortress of Solitude, sitting at a control table while Wonder Woman, Black Adam and Sinestro speak of the insurrection the duplicates have incited, Superman speaks to himself, justifying that he had made the people safe, but then rants that all they do is whine and complain despite his protection, and now having sided with the 'criminals' he has decided he will give them what they want: Chaos. He makes plans to level Metropolis and Gotham and even desires to find the home dimension of the duplicates to make them pay for interfering. Shazam overhears this as he walks in and tries to reason with Kal-El, saying that he is going too far, and that they have to have limits on themselves. Superman orders him to be silent, but when Shazam calls him crazy and begins to say that Lois would never have wanted this, Kal-El grabs Billy by the neck and freezes his mouth shut before he has a chance to say his magic word, and then uses his heat vision to burn through his eyes all the way to the back of his skull. Letting the boy's body fall the ground, Superman challenges anyone else to speak against him before ordering Cyborg and Raven to seize control of all media broadcasts, then Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl and Black Adam to join him, and Sinestro to prepare his forces, then orders Flash and Yellow Lantern to ready Doomsday before departing to begin his attack with one last look towards Billy's corpse. Superman's forces begin their attack, with Doomsday leading the charge. Kal-El himself destroys the bridge out of Metropolis with his heat vision, causing several cars to fall into the waters. The fallen Man of Steel grins darkly as he watches the cars fall before flying off to resume the destruction. With the situations of Gotham and Metropolis looking grimmer by the minute, the duplicate Batman tries to convince his alternate that they need to bring his Superman over to even the odds. Though at first alternate Batman refuses, wary of a second Superman in his world, the duplicate convinces him (After a brawl) and the alternate Batman uses the device he had created to bring the first duplicates over to bring the true heroic Man of Steel to their world to finally end his villainous counterpart's madness. Clark is quickly brought up to speed over the situation and decides to help the Batmen save as many lives as possible before taking on his fallen counterpart after being told about what happen in his counterpart's world, especially the world's Lois. He also notes Doomsday will be tricky and decides to force that inevitable fight elsewhere. When he asks the alternate Batman if there is anything else, Bruce only tells him that it is good to have him back. Superman quickly speeds off to Gotham, and stops Black Adam from crushing Aquaman under a car. Superman orders Adam to stop and to return to his kingdom in Kahndaq. Adam responds by attacking Clark but is easily pushed back by a single punch. Black Adam begins throwing cars at Superman, taunting his weakness and claiming that his counterpart based his regime on his own kingdom in Kahndaq and that he allowed no insurrections. Despite Adam's claims that his power equals Clark's, Superman overcomes the fallen champion of mortals, proclaiming the evil of the regime must end. Adam attempts one final attack only to be frozen by Superman's freeze breath. Deciding Adam is contained, he turns to stop the other battles when Sinestro viciously strikes him over and over again with a powerful mace construct. The heroic Man of Steel is seemingly felled by the alien warlord but reveals he completely dodged the attacks with his speed. Superman then easily strips Sinestro of his ring and powers before he manages to convince the alternate Hal Jordan to peacefully remove and hand over his own ring. Clark smiles, knowing that the alternate Hal made a right choice. Clark quickly flies to Metropolis and freezes the alternate Aquaman's tidal wave with his freeze breath and throws the icy wave out of the city, stopping his attack on several soldiers. When Aquaman challenges Superman to take on the might of Atlantis, Clark reveals his backup in the form of the turned Amazons, lead by his world's Wonder Woman. As the Amazons and Atlanteans battle in the streets of Metropolis, Clark and the alternate Arthur duel, with the latter proclaiming he is not wanted here. Superman overcomes Arthur and acknowledges that while he may not be wanted, he is clearly needed. Returning to Diana, he is informed of the Atlanteans retreat and tells her to begin helping with rescue and recovery. The two exchange some friendly banter and Clark prepares to tell her something else when he is struck by a Regime vehicle and knocked through several buildings. Clark is confronted by the mind-controlled Doomsday and the two engage in a brutal battle, though the monster dominates Clark with little effort. With no other choice, Superman tackles Doomsday into the skies, flying himself and the struggling beast into the atmosphere and then crashes both of them into this world's Fortress of Solitude. Doomsday recovers first and stands over a winded Clark, breathing with anticipation, "I live to kill you." Clark rises up and tells Doomsday he will live disappointed, and the two battle in the Fortress. Despite the monster having once killed him before, Superman overcomes the ancient Kryptonian nightmare and sends it into the Phantom Zone to be safely contained. Exhausted but far from finished, Clark suddenly looks up and sees the evil Kal-El slowly floating down towards him. Kal-El is not surprised to see his duplicate, stating he knew they would bring him here eventually and says that Clark does not belong. Clark declares that his obligations don't end at the borders of his own dimension. Kal-El proclaims he is this world's savior and that he protects it. When Clark asks if his 'protection' is destruction, Kal-El retorts that 'disobedient children' will be punished. Clark is shocked, trying to remind his alternate that they are not gods and that they don't judge who lives or dies. Kal-El rants that the decision became his when the Joker turned him into a 'weapon of mass destruction'. Although Clark understands what Kal-El lost, the corrupted Kryptonian only sees his judgment, and not his condolence. Kal-El suddenly states that he intends to bring Clark's Lois to his world after killing Clark, thinking that she'll be impressed; although Clark tells him that she'd only be afraid and disgusted, Kal-El doesn't care as he just wants Lois alive again. Although Clark tells him that his Lois' death doesn't justify his actions, Kal-El just snarls that Joker stole her from him. Clark sees that his alternate will not be reminded of their morals and he cannot let him continue this. Deciding he must defeat Kal-El to not only return this world's freedom and save his own Lois from his mad doppelganger's clutches, the twin last sons of Krypton commence their final battle within the Fortress. Though their battle is fierce and the two Supermen are equally matched, with Kal-El arguing he saved this world, Clark overcomes his alternate and declares his reign is over. Kal-El attempts one last assault with his heat vision but Clark deflects it with a blast of his own, blinding Kal-El for a moment, allowing Clark to tackle his alternate and beat him into submission. Clark proclaims that Kal-El will no longer terrorize the people of this earth, though the fallen Superman retorts that all they understand is fear and that his duplicate will one day learn that. Clark's friends and the alternate Batman arrive in the Fortress to stand over the defeated Kal-El. Kal looks to Bruce and proclaims that Batman will have to kill him. Bruce refuses though, saying there has been enough killing. Over the next several weeks, Kal-El's generals are arrested, his One Earth government dismantled and democracy restored thanks to the efforts of the duplicates and the good Superman. The alternate Batman and Clark discuss their efforts of repairing the world, with Bruce saying the people need to feel in control. When Clark asks what will happen to this world's Superman, Batman reveals he and his accomplices will stand trial for their crimes. Clark notes to himself that his alternate was right. If he had been in the same position, he might have done the same thing, admitting he is not sure what he is truly capable of. Batman tells him for his world's sake he never finds out. As the two turn and walk away, the alternate Batman reminds him that if he ever loses it, he will come for him. Clark chuckles and tells him to get in line. The final shot of the game is of Kal-El sitting in his maximum security cell, surrounded by red sun ray lamps, his expression twisted with rage as his eyes begin to glow red with heat vision. Injustice 2 In Injustice 2, Superman is first seen during a flashback to several years earlier, pulling criminals out of Arkham Asylum. Batman, assuming he is going to have the inmates executed, heads to Arkham with Robin to try and stop him. An inmate steps out of line, grabbing hold of the prison doctor, demanding to know what's going on. Superman appears from another hallway, floating towards the inmate, eyes glowing ominously, and orders him to get back in line. Before he can do anything else, Batman crashes through the roof, landing in front of him. Superman orders the prisoners to clear the area. Bruce tells Clark that he's above mass murder. Clark responds that the Arkham inmates are irredeemable, like the Joker, and complains that the battle for truth and justice never ends. When a noticeably concerned Batman asks him when it stops, Superman responds that it stops when there is no more crime or fear; they want the same thing. Batman tries to tell him it's not what Lois would want, drawing a comparison between her and his own parents, but all this does is infuriate Superman. His heat vision glares once again, but then shuts off, to his surprise. He looks down to see Batman holding a red solar grenade. Bruce tells him to stop and take time to grieve before it's too late. Doubtful at first, Clark is shocked when Bruce detonates the grenade, dulling his powers. Enraged, Superman attacks Batman, ranting that he thought they were friends. With his powers drained, however, he is overpowered and defeated by Batman. Hurt over his best friend's apparent betrayal, Clark rebuffs Bruce's apologies before Damian enters the room with a bound Victor Zsasz, holding a birdarang to his throat. Batman warns Robin to release Zsasz, referring to him as "son," angering Damian, who slashes Zsasz's throat with the birdarang, killing him. Superman is shocked, and watches as a horrified and angered Batman fights and defeats Robin. Infuriated, Robin has an outburst and angrily rants at Batman, calling him a coward, but before the argument can escalate further, Clark intervenes, putting his hand on Damian's shoulder. When Robin asks about the inmates, Superman responds, "Not today." He takes Damian's hand and flies out through the window, leaving Batman alone, staring at Zsasz's body. Superman is next seen sitting alone in his red sun cell, when Batman arrives. Noticing that Bruce is wearing the Batsuit, Clark sarcastically asks if he's in trouble again, but when Bruce mentions the name "Brainiac," he is visibly shocked, revealing that Brainiac was responsible for the deaths of his parents and the destruction of Krypton. When Batman asks, "How do I beat him?" Superman simply responds, "You can't. Not without me." Bruce stubbornly retorts that he'll find a way and leaves, ignoring Clark as he calls after him, "This is my fight, Bruce! You need me!" Superman's cell is guarded by Blue Beetle and Firestorm, who complain about being on guard duty during Brainiac's invasion. Wonder Woman, Black Adam and Supergirl then arrive at the prison, freeing Nightwing and Cyborg. Wonder Woman distracts the guards while Black Adam sabotages the power center, distracting Firestorm and Beetle, allowing Cyborg to try to hack into the console controlling the red sun generators. Clark asks Victor who let him out, and Kara answers that she did, landing in front of his cell. She is surprised when Clark recognizes her, explaining how her ship was thrown off course by Krypton's explosion. Clark is in disbelief, claiming he never thought he'd see family again. When Supergirl reluctantly leaves to help Wonder Woman, Beetle and Firestorm show up, attacking Cyborg and defeating him. Superman tells the rookies that Brainiac is too much for Batman, and they need his help. Firestorm claims that Batman asked them nicely, as opposed to demanding help, but Superman argues that Batman will fail because he doesn't go far enough. He watches as Supergirl returns with Wonder Woman to fight Beetle and Firestorm. The rookies are seemingly victorious, but their victory is spoiled by the fact that they are outnumbered. Firestorm prepares to go nuclear but is stopped by Batman. Realizing he cannot beat Brainiac on his own, Batman personally releases Superman from his cell. Clark is skeptical at first, asking Bruce what his game is, but Bruce replies that saving the world is enough for now. When Clark declares that he will never go back into the red sun cell, Bruce brushes it off, saying, "We'll cross that bridge later." Superman next appears in the Batcave along with Supergirl. He tells the other heroes that Earth has about forty-eight hours before its destruction by Brainiac's hand, so they have to fix Brother Eye. He then says that he's going to the Fortress of Solitude to restore his powers, sarcastically asking if Batman has torn it down. The others exit the room, leaving Clark and Bruce alone. Clark asks Bruce why he kept "it." When Batman doesn't know what he's talking about, Superman pulls a cover off the table, revealing the Justice League logo. Batman shrugs, simply saying he forgot about it before leaving Superman alone. Superman next appears in Wonder Woman's fear toxin-induced hallucination. At first he is relieved, and after some banter, they embrace, only for Superman to suddenly blast Wonder Woman with his heat vision. The illusion of Clark angrily rants that he turned to Diana after Lois' death and claims that she used him and turned him into a monster, pinning her to the wall. Diana protests, claiming her love made him stronger. Superman snarls, "Is that what you tell yourself?!" Wonder Woman stabs him in the gut, causing him to dissipate. The real Superman is in the solarium in the Fortress of Solitude talking with Black Adam and Nightwing. Supergirl then shows up, still in disbelief of Wonder Woman's attempted murder of Harley Quinn. Kara claims she's never seen Diana so cold-blooded. Clark shocks Kara even more with his reply: "It's unfortunate that Diana chose now to deal with Harley. More unfortunate that you got in the way." Kara protests that Harley was helping them, but Clark calls her naive; he sees Harley as a criminal, and claims he should've dealt with her sooner. When Supergirl asks about the Joker's "execution," Superman defensively responds that he took one life to save millions. Supergirl doesn't believe him, and exclaims that she now understands why people are afraid of the Shield of the House of El. Kara is horrified when Clark says that humans need to be saved from themselves, asking if he is really Jor-El's son, or General Zod's before flying away. He calls after her, but she ignores him. Superman calls to Nightwing and Black Adam, telling them not to let Supergirl leave the Fortress. They fail to stop her, however, and Superman confronts her himself. He tries to sound more reasonable, claiming that they can't hold back with their powers, or the people they love will suffer. Kara says that Metropolis wasn't his fault, but Clark says he promised himself to never let it happen again. When Kara reminds him of the House of El's meaning, Clark irritably exclaims, "Hope isn't enough to save the world!" After a brief scuffle (which Kara wins), Clark tells her to think about what she's lost, to which Kara responds that she does, every day. Before Superman can continue, the ground shakes, revealing Brainiac has started his collection early. Black Adam leaves for Kahndaq, and the others prepare to head to Metropolis. Clark ominously tells Kara that she needs to choose a side when this is over; "You're either with me, or against me." The two Kryptonians head to Metropolis, destroying several betas with their heat vision and giving Batman an opening to fire missiles at Brainiac's ship. However, Brainiac activates the shields, which absorb and redirect the force of the missiles, causing a huge shockwave that knocks the Batwing out of the air. Superman easily catches it before impact, and asks what just happened. Batman explains that Brainiac's shields created a "concussive feedback loop," so the harder they hit it, the harder it hits back. Unfortunately, Supergirl does not hear this, flying straight at the ship and throwing a punch. The shield does indeed hit back, and Supergirl is helpless as the energy envelopes her. Superman flies after her, but he too is caught in the energy field, and both of them are simultaneously catapulted into the sky and out of sight. With the Kryptonians incapacitated, Brainiac proceeds to collect Metropolis. Much later, Superman regains consciousness, and scans Supergirl with his x-ray vision. She's out cold, but not injured. Relieved, Superman flies toward the ship, but is horrified to discover that Metropolis is gone. Angered, he charges at the ship, but fails to break through the shield. Batman then explains that the shield concentrates its energy at his point of attack, and if he moves faster than it can, he might break through. Superman acknowledges this, and proceeds to attack the ship at superspeed, avoiding the concussive blasts from the shield. Amused, Brainiac decreases the shield refresh interval to ten picoseconds. Superman, unaware of this development, is struck by the energy blast when he attacks the shield again, and is driven into the ground. As he regains his footing, Superman watches as the tentacles on the ship aim at him and fire massive beams of energy that force him backwards. After a few seconds the beams become too much for him, and the resulting explosion tosses the Batwing around like a ragdoll. Supergirl is blown backwards, but when she recovers from the shock, she is horrified and hurriedly flies into the epicenter of the blast. Supergirl is unable to find Superman's body, or hear his heartbeat, and assumes the worst: Superman is dead. She mourns his loss, and laments her failure to protect him. She remarks that Batman is probably happy, but to her surprise, he says, "I'll miss him too." Bruce tells Kara how Clark was his best friend at one point, but he failed to stop the Joker from getting to him. "I lost my friend Clark, and I've missed him ever since." However, unbeknownst to them, Superman is not only alive, but unharmed, having seemingly avoided the deadly force of the energy beams with his superspeed. He reveals himself when Batman is held captive on the skull ship. Before Brainiac's betas can "dispose of him," Superman destroys them by flying straight through them, snatching the harpoon in his hand before it impales Batman. He tears the metal tendrils away from Batman and catches him as he falls, setting him gently on the floor of the ship. Shocked and relieved, Bruce remarks, "And I thought I ''could make an entrance." He tells Clark that Kara has been captured, and the other heroes are fighting off Brainiac's betas, just in case they don't pull through. Superman says they ''will pull through, determined to beat Brainiac. He and Batman work their way through the ship, encountering Firestorm and Swamp Thing, who have both been brainwashed by Brainiac. They manage to defeat them, and free them from Brainiac's mind link using Cyborg's signal disrupter. Moving further into the ship, Superman notices that he can't see through the walls of the ship, as they're lined with lead. Suddenly a portal opens in front of them, and Doctor Fate confronts them. The Lords of Order compel him to attack the heroes, claiming they are responsible for the chaos on Earth and that Brainiac can establish order. Doctor Fate is overcome by the heroes and the helm of Fate is removed. With some difficulty, Superman crushes the helm in his hands, ensuring the Lords of Order cannot command Kent anymore. Kent tells the heroes that they must keep order, or the Lords will impose it, one way or another. Before he can say more, he is impaled through the chest by one of Brainiac's tendrils before being sucked through the wall and captured. Brainiac himself then confronts the heroes, explaining that he is doing the Earth a favor, as its civilization is in an irreversible decline. Batman tells him they'll find away, and he and Superman attack Brainiac. The Coluan matches Superman's strength, easily overpowering Batman and knocking him out cold. Superman regains his footing and faces off against Brainiac, who arrogantly claims Superman is "only a Kryptonian, of which he has killed billions." However, in addition to his arrogance, Brainiac is weakened by the attacks on the fleet, allowing a vengeful Superman to overpower and defeat him. Batman then cuts him off from the Betas with the signal disrupter. Superman is about to search for his cousin when the ship lists violently; cut off from Brainiac, the ship has no one to pilot it, and plummets towards the ground. Realizing that everything in Brainiac's collection hangs in the balance (and that the ship is controlled by pure thought), Superman jumps into the pilot seat and jams the tendrils against his skull, thus connecting his mind to the ship. He is able to regain control and steers it back up into the sky, averting disaster. Brainiac regains consciousness, and angrily orders Superman to relinquish the ship. Supergirl appears, blasting him from behind with heat vision. Batman then distracts the weakened Brainiac, and eventually takes him down. Superman, meanwhile, is able to restore several cities, including Gotham and Atlantis. Aquaman, Black Adam, Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman arrive on board in time to see this. However, before he can restore the other cities, Superman collapses, weakened from the link to the ship. He laments that he couldn't save everyone, and Batman explains that some cities are still trapped in the collection, while others, including Metropolis and Coast City, were lost, having been wiped from the ship's memory. When Hal asks if they can still save them, Clark sadly apologizes; Hal's family, including Carol, are gone. Wonder Woman remarks that no other world should suffer what Earth has suffered, manipulating Superman's grief yet again. Superman glowers darkly and stalks towards the unconscious Brainiac, but Batman bars his path. Thus begins an argument over what to do with Brainiac; Batman wants to keep him alive to save the rest of the cities, whereas Superman wants him dead, saying that he can control the ship, given time and help from Cyborg. The Flash agrees with Batman, saying there's no way to be sure if Superman's idea will work. Aquaman agrees with Superman, claiming that Brainiac's very existence puts the entire planet at risk. Wonder Woman compares it to the Joker, but Batman exclaims that it was never that simple. Superman, becoming visibly and increasingly irritated by Batman's unrelenting stubbornness, asks how many deaths of innocent people it'll take to convince Batman that some lives need to be taken. In response, Batman slashes him across the chest with a knife made of pure Gold Kryptonite, courtesy of Firestorm. He warns him that enough exposure will de-power him permanently, but Superman refuses to stay down, declaring, "This madness has to end, Bruce..." Superman forces Batman to drop his Kryptonite knife, and Wonder Woman picks it up. Green Lantern, Supergirl and Flash side with Batman, whereas Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Black Adam side with Superman, and all hell breaks lose. Superman fights Green Lantern, who flings him from the ship and into Gotham. They tussle for a moment before crashing to the ground. Clark is shocked that Hal is against him, claiming Brainiac is responsible for the deaths of Hal's loved ones. Hal refuses to give into his rage, claiming it won't bring them back, just like Clark's couldn't bring Lois back. Lantern engages Superman in a brawl, which Superman clearly wins by breaking his hand. The Flash and Supergirl arrive, but are unable to hold him back. Kara reminds Clark that these are his friends, but Clark coldly responds that they should be helping him, not standing in his way. Supergirl flies at him, but he grabs her by the throat and flings her straight through a nearby building, taking her out of the picture. Flash attacks Superman with a flurry of super-fast punches, but Superman forces him back with his super breath before punching him aside, straight through a wall. He then fights and defeats Flash, lamenting how Barry lost his nerve; his defection left them vulnerable to Brainiac. Supergirl tries to talk to Superman reasonably, but he says he can't forgive her so easily. She says she knows he's been afraid ever since he lost Lois. Clark responds that he used to be afraid of what people would think of him, or who he might hurt by accident. He rants that he spent his whole life holding back, but no more, because that's what cost him Lois. Supergirl flies through the window and through Gotham, with Superman on her heels. To make matters worse, he is soon joined by Wonder Woman. At Batman's instruction, Supergirl leads them to the Batcave, smashing through the concrete. Reaching the cave, Wonder Woman remarks that she led them right to Batman. Superman claims it's no accident, to which Batman agrees, revealing himself in a heavy-duty exo-suit. While Wonder Woman faces off with Batman, Superman turns his attention to his cousin, complaining that she's undermining him. Kara desperately tries to talk him out of his maddened state, telling him that Jor-El led the fight against Zod when he attempted his coup and that Jor-El would be horrified to find that his son has become a monster. Clark shocks her by saying, "If Jor-El had been more like Zod, he might've saved Krypton. And ''I ''will save the Earth!" Realizing just how far gone he is, Supergirl engages him in combat, but loses. Superman apologizes, but Batman then confronts him, having defeated Wonder Woman. Clark says it felt like old times, working with Bruce, but he knew that it would end this way. Bruce recalls the night Clark told him Lois was pregnant, and Clark replies that Bruce knew before Clark even said a word. They both agree that it was a good memory, "from another lifetime." In a last-ditch attempt to save his former friend, Bruce remarks, "I miss the people we were then." Clark responds, "Me too..." But Batman is brought back to reality when Superman sucker punches him through a wall. Clark hovers in the air above him, warning him that he can't win. Batman responds defiantly, "You of all people know, Clark... I ''never ''quit!" The two former friends then engage in a final battle inside the Batcave. Absolute Justice If Batman was chosen at the beginning of the chapter, Superman attempts one last assault, but Batman proceeds to beat him into submission. Lifting the weakened Superman clear off the ground by his throat, Batman hesitates for a moment, then hammers him with a powerhouse punch, knocking him to the ground. Superman stirs, and it seems like the fight will continue, but then he slumps to the floor, unconscious. Exhausted, Batman drops to his knees. Supergirl, having regained consciousness, cautiously approaches Batman, who tells her, "He'll be out for a while." Bruce then apologizes for failing to save Kal-El. Superman is taken to the Fortress of Solitude, placed in Kryptonite handcuffs to weaken his power and is exposed to Gold Kryptonite, removing his powers permanently. Batman opens a portal to the Phantom Zone. Kara speaks to her cousin one last time, telling him that they are family, and that she hopes he'll see that. Kal swears to escape from the Phantom Zone, and Bruce responds that he'll be ready if he does. Kal turns around, and after briefly looking back at his cousin and his former friend, he enters the Phantom Zone, the portal closing behind him. Absolute Power If Superman was chosen at the beginning of the chapter, Batman attempts to keep fighting, but Superman simply pins him to the floor with his super breath. Exhausted and defeated, Bruce tries to reason with Kal-El, who tells him he won't let Brainiac live to threaten Earth again. When Batman asks if he's next, Superman grabs him by the throat, telling him that he could've easily killed him years ago. Bruce dares Kal to kill him. "Show me what a villain looks like!" he snarls. Kal responds, "Is that what you want to see?" For a moment it seems he's going to accept the dare, but then he headbutts Bruce, knocking him out cold. Despite Wonder Woman's protests, Superman keeps Batman alive as killing him will make him a martyr, and swears that this time, everyone will follow him. Though not seen, Superman then kills Brainiac and bonds with his ship, changing the look of his suit. Kara, now locked in the same red sun cell Kal previously occupied, is shocked at this revelation. Kal tells her he's building a new legion to protect the Earth with the warriors trapped in Brainiac's collection, and he wants her to lead it with him. When Kara refuses, Kal ominously tells her, "You'll either make the right choice, or I'll make it for you." He then reveals a mind-controlled roboticized Batman, to Kara's absolute horror. Arms crossed, Kal asks, "What's it going to be?"Category:Injustice Characters Category:Dc Comics Characters